The Second Brother's Dilemma
by Bienvenido-invitados714
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts, George is lost after Fred's death. After a while, he goes out to walk in the Forbidden Forest. While he's out there George finds an odd looking black rock. Imagine his surprise and delight when Fred pops up after he starts to play with it...


It had been a week since the Battle of Hogwarts had ended. A week since Voldemort was defeated. And a week since George had lost his other half. George stayed at Hogwarts for as long as he could. Staying in the Great Hall, the place where his twin had died. George was in the Hall all the time. He even slept in the Hall at the place where the wall had fallen on top of Fred. Where Fred had died. After a while even Professor McGonagall thought it was a little disturbing that George was always there. In the same place all the time. Eating there, sleeping there, only ever moving to use the bathroom, and just staying at the place where Fred had died. After another week of this behavior, Professor McGonagall decided to talk to George.

"Mr. Weasley. How are you?" inquired the professor.

"As well as can be expected all things considered Professor," he replied simply.

"Mr. Weasley it has come to my attention that you have stood in this spot every day for the past two weeks."

"Yes? What about it Professor?"

"It seems to me that you need to get out of the castle. I am not throwing you out Mr. Weasley so don't give me that look," George was looking at her with complete despair. "I am simply asking that you take a walk around the grounds. Get some fresh air in your lungs."

George didn't want to. He felt that if he left the spot where Fred took his last breath he would be leaving Fred himself. But after some convincing on the Professor's part, he started to walk into the Forbidden Forest. He went farther than he ever had before. He went into the center of the forest. He didn't know it, but it was the same spot where Voldemort "killed" Harry. When he got to the clearing he sat down and started pulling up grass. Just like most kids do when they sit in the grass. After he ran out of grass in one place, he simply shifted and started to pull up more grass. Once he shifted for a third time, he found an odd object. It was too smooth to be a rock; it was black as Snape's robes were, and seemed like a diamond, but with more sides. He didn't know what to make of it. He tossed it from one hand to the other, and absent-mindedly thought about Fred.

All of a sudden, Fred was in front of him. He was sitting just like George was, "criss- cross applesauce" their mother always said. At first George thought he was hallucinating. Then he thought it was Fred's ghost. But George saw that the vision was…"too solid" for him to be a ghost. He didn't know what this vision was. He just assumed he went mad.

"Come on mate, do you really think you've gone mad?" asked the Fred vision like he had read his mind. Of course he did, the real Fred did too.

George decided to play along. "Alright mate. You say I'm not mad. But you're dead right?"

"Right."

"Are you a ghost?"

"Of course not you git."

"Then how can I be talking to you if I'm not mad and you're not a ghost?" asked George, now genuinely curious.

"Do you see that black stone lookin'-thing in your hands?" George looked at the thing in his hands and nodded. "Well, that's actually called 'The Resurrection Stone'. If a person turns it in their hands three times, the person or people that the person wants to see most. S'long as their dead of course. Since you turned it, you get me. For as long as you want."

"Are you serious? I get to have you for as long as I want? And you won't leave me?"

"Nope. I'm all yours. Of course no one else would be able to see me, so they wouldn't believe you. Except for Harry of course because he used the stone himself. But until you say so, I'm here with you."

"This is so awesome! Fred I can't believe I have you back! This is the best day ever!" George was crying now.

He went to hug Fred, but found that he couldn't. Fred explained, "Even though I'm here, there's still that blasted veil between me and your world. I'm only a little more solid than a ghost, but still not all the way back. Sorry Georgie."

George looked upset by this, but then decided to make the best of it. After all… his brother was back!

He went back to his place above his shop and sure enough Fred went with him. The twins talked to each other all night, like they did when Fred was alive. The next day George reopened the shop much to everyone's surprise and delight. He smiled at everyone who came in, even the students who were Slytherins. He had a sale on items that were Fred's personal favourites. He seemed, by all accounts to be himself again: this seemed to get a mixed reaction. While some thought it was great to see George Weasley acting like himself again, others thought it a bit odd to see the sudden transformation in his demeanor. Still, they dismissed it as another way that George was grieving: of course, if they saw what George could see his change of behavior wouldn't seem strange at all.

Harry was the only one though to ask George what was going on. Why he had changed so quickly. And even that was after a few days.

"If I told you mate, you'd think I's mad." Replied George.

To which Fred said, "Well remember mate, he's also used the stone. He actually might be the only one who _wouldn't _think you're absolutely barmy."

"Well that's true enough good sir," Harry looked at George with a confused look. "Come up to my office Harry and I'll tell you what's been going on."

After Harry found out George had found the stone, used it and brought Fred back, Harry tried to warn George. "George, please be careful. You know the story 'The Three Brothers' right?" George nodded. "That's where the stone is from. Fred isn't completely back just like that girl wasn't pretty back. That brother was driven mad and killed himself because he tried to defy _death_. The _one_ thing in the entire world that _can't_ be defied. And by bringing Fred back you're doing the same thing. Please George, you need to let him go and let _both_ of you move on."

"Well what about you, Harry eh? You brought back four people. _FOUR!_ And you tell me that I can't bring back only one?! I told you because I thought you would understand! Merlin, Harry I thought I could trust you!"

"You can trust me! I'm telling you this because I don't want you to get hurt again! I may have brought people back but it was only because I needed them as I faced Voldemort and faced my death. But then I let them go because I knew it was the right thing to do. If you don't let Fred go mate he's going to become depressed. And it'll make you disheartened, even more than you've been. So disheartened and sad that you'll do anything to ease the pain like that brother did. If you don't let him go mate, you'll die."

And with that, Harry left. George was still irritated by what he considered to be a betrayal on Harry's part. Who was he to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do? Especially when he brought back four people because he felt lonely. Who was Harry to tell George that he wasn't allowed to bring back his brother? His twin. His other half. His first and best mate. It was only one person, and it was the best person to ever be brought back. George looked at Fred who was over by the wall, leaning on it like he would if he were alive. Fred acted so much like he was alive; surely he wouldn't become depressed, he was with George after all.

Over the next couple of weeks though, George saw tiny changes in the way Fred behaved. A joke would sometimes only get a weak smile, sarcastic comments would go without retort, and he wasn't as helpful with making new products as he used to be. _Was Harry right?_ George started to wonder, _Fred _does _look a bit off today, and of course that could be because he's only partly here. But he's here, that's what counts. _

But after another week, it didn't. Fred had literally become blue, because he was so depressed. He knew he was meant to go on to the other side, but as long as George had the Stone, he couldn't cross. Fred knew that Harry had spoken the truth, but he didn't want to leave Gorge again. Never again. He tried to act like himself, but each day it was getting harder and harder. By his third week he was literally bluer than a Cornish Pixie; his outward appearance had decided to match his emotions while on this side of the veil. Fred tried to be the way he was, but he knew he had to cross, but now he was stuck. He couldn't ask for help, because he wasn't a ghost, and George was the only one who could see him. The only he thought could help him was Harry, and that was still going to be hard to get his help because of the whole "no one but George can see him" problem.

One night, he managed to enter Harry's dreams. Fred told Harry about wanting to cross over, and that he wasn't able to as long as George kept using the Stone. He asked Harry to talk to George, to make him see that Fred was hurting and he needed to be let go.

That afternoon, Harry went to see George, he asked how he was doing, and asked how Fred was doing in a very nonchalant manner. Although Harry really wanted to know if George had seen the changes in Fred that Harry had said there'd be. He knew that the dream wasn't just a dream, but that it really _was_ Fred in his dream, begging for help. He'd had enough "dream visions" from Voldemort to tell. Harry knew he had to help Fred, because he knew if this continued it could end with George's death. George, who was at his desk brainstorming for new products, stood up and went towards his shelves and put on a show of taking inventory.

"Oh you know, he's being like I'd thought he be. He's just bein' Fred." Lied George. He didn't know if he wanted to tell Harry the truth about Fred's condition, or if he wanted to still be in denial. "Can I ask ya somethin'?"

"Sure. What's up?"

George turned looked at Fred on more time. "Why do you think the woman in that story was so upset? I mean, she was in love with the brother before she died right? So why was she so unhappy when she was brought back?"

"I've only heard the story a handful of times. I didn't grow up with it like you did; but from what I understand, while she wanted to be there, with the one she loved, she didn't belong there anymore. Like, she was stuck, or more like torn between two choices, while at the same time she didn't have any choice at all." George _looked_ like he was confused, although Harry suspected he was trying to figure out what to do. So the latter went on. "It's like, she was torn between staying _there_ with her loved one and making _him _happy, and making _herself_ happy and returning to her place behind the veil. But at the same time, she had no choice about what she did because her loved one held the stone. He was keeping her there. Not against her will, but at the same time not with her consent. So she became depressed."

George was looking at Fred throughout Harry's explanation of what happened to the woman. And could see Fred nodding at some points. George looked down at his shoes, and took deep breaths, trying to keep himself from breaking down and crying. When he looked back at Harry, his eyes shone with unshed tears. "And why do you think the brother killed himself?"

Harry too took a deep breath. "I think it was because while the brother didn't want to see the one he loved in pain anymore. However at the same time, the brother didn't want to say goodbye yet again to the one he loved most. Simply put, the brother wasn't strong enough to say goodbye. So he didn't. Not to the one he loved most anyway. Instead he said hello. And crossed with her to the other side of the veil." At this point George slid down to the floor, forehead on his knees. Hugging his knees closer to him, he started to cry. Harry knelt beside him, and began stroking his hair much like a brother would and kept talking. "But here you have something he didn't. He was already alone when he brought his loved one back. But you George, although it feels like it, you are not alone. You are surrounded by family and more loved ones than you can ever imagine. _We _are here with you George. _We _aren't leaving you. And _we_ are here for _you_. Here for you to lean on, for you to cry with, to get mad with, and most importantly, we are for you to heal with. And to _live_ with George. We are alive George, and for those who have fallen, we must keep on living."

George looked him at Harry, the former still crying and sniffing and the latter now shedding some tears of his own. "Harry… I don't know if I can. Not by myself. I can't let him go, not alone."

"I know. If you want, I'll be there with you."

Yet George still felt alone.

This time, it was Fred who answered. "You're not alone George. You have all of them. It might not seem like it, but it will get better. And I'll wait for you. And then when you've lived your life and are an old man, then you'll come be with me. And we'll be together again. And we'll wreak havoc on those in the afterlife just like we did here. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to set up a WWW branch on the other side and make those dead-beat geezers have some fun again! But you have to wait. K mate? I don't want to see your ugly face 'round my neck of the woods till you at least have grandchildren. If not great-grandchildren." Translucent, shiny tears were running down Fred's now "normal-again" face. "You have to live for the both of us now mate. So make sure you live it like I would. And keep Percy on his toes. Make sure he doesn't feel too guilty. Make sure he knows that it _is not his fault_."

George nodded and then shook his head. "How can I Fred? You are literally a part of me. You're more than my brother, you're my twin. My other half. I know this is going to sound like a sappy Hufflepuff romance shite, but you complete me in every way. How can I let you go?"

"'Cause mate, we're Gryffindor's. Doing the right thing is what we do. We do what's right, honorable, and brave before we even think about it. It's who we are; who _you_ are."

George climbed to his feet-half on his own half leaning on Harry-and did what was undoubtedly the hardest thing he would ever do in his entire life. "Goodbye Fred. I'll miss you."

"Goodbye George. I'll miss you too. But of course I'll look in on you from time to time, cause trouble if it doesn't look like you're causing enough." George let out a breathless watery laugh. Fred looked him in the eyes. "I love you George. And I'll wait for you. Great, now I'm the Hufflepuff."

George laughed again. "I love you too, prat."

"Wanker," then Fred wrapped his translucent body around George's solid one and hugged his twin one last time.

His brother. His twin. His best mate. His best friend. His other half. His own personal soul-mate.

George knew this would be the last time he would see Fred in many years and for that he was saddened. But the look on his brother's face of complete bliss and relaxed happiness had George realizing this was for the best, and for that he was gladdened and relieved. He pointed Harry in the right direction (who was silent all this time and still semi holding George upright) and they both waved goodbye to Fred, who slowly faded into nothingness. After the last of him faded, George broke down once again, Harry just barely catching him, and sobbed just as hard as the first time he lost his brother.

Harry managed to get ahold of his wand and wordlessly summoned the sofa. They sat down and cried together for what seemed like an eternity.

It was nearly dinner time when the two of them made their way back downstairs. Harry walked straight to Ginny and put his arm around her waist, placing a kiss on the top of her head: George stood on the last stair leading to the store and looked out. George saw his two littlest siblings behind the counter helping out Lee with the costumers. Over by the love potions, helping out a couple of young teenage witches, he saw Fred's old girlfriend, Angelina Johnson.

He first walked over to the four behind the counter, hugging his two siblings tightly till they almost couldn't breathe. He grabbed Lee's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. Letting the latter know that he'll be alright. After looking Harry in the eye and saying thank you, he walked up to Angelina and wrapped her in a tight, comforting, and very much needed hug.

"It'll be alright," George whispered to her. "We'll get through it. Together."

She looked up at him, blinking her eyes rapidly in a fruitless effort to stop her tears from falling. After a moment she gave him a watery smile, "That's what I'm supposed to say to you, George."

"I know. That's why I said it. Besides, I'm not George." Angelina gave him a quizzical look. "My name is Gred."

At that she smiled, and tightened her arms around him. "Really? I think I've met your brother. Forge."

"Yes that's him alright. It's good that you've met him; he was one of the best people I knew. And will ever know."

"I know Gred. I know."

At closing time George decided to go back and stay at his parents' home for a few days. He locked up the apartment above, and took a long look around their office, eyes settling on Fred's desk. Still left the way he left it.

"See ya around Forge."

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or not, but on the wind he thought he heard, "See ya Gred."

With that, he apparated back to the Burrow. To be with his family, so he could prove Fred right one last time. That he, George Weasley, was most definitely not alone.


End file.
